Project Overview

This summer, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Prince, Inc. will resurface approximately 12 miles of US Highway 212 (US 212) in Rosebud County. The project begins just east of the junction with Montana Highway 39 (MT 39) at the roundabout in Lame Deer and extends east. The entirety of this project is on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.

The Lame Deer – East project will include new surfacing, seal and cover (chip seal) operations, centerline and shoulder rumble strips, and upgraded signs and pavement markings. Approaches and chain-up areas will be paved as well. The project aims to extend the existing roadway’s life, reduce road maintenance needs, and enhance safety features.

Timeline

Prince, Inc. will begin work on the Lame Deer – East project in June. MDT anticipates work taking approximately two months, weather and other factors permitting.

Impacts to the Public

Beginning in June, US 212 will be closed to through traffic from the intersection with Interstate 90 (I-90) at Crow Agency east to Broadus. This closure is planned to last approximately five days so crews can mill and pave the first two miles of this project.

Closing the route for the milling and paving operations will improve work zone safety and access for the rest of the project duration.

All trucks and non-local traffic that head eastbound past Crow Agency will be stopped at Busby and diverted down State Secondary Highway 314 (S 314) and back to I-90. All trucks and non-local westbound traffic out of Broadus will be diverted to Miles City and Interstate 94 (I-94).

Variable Message Signs will be located at all major interchanges leading up to the closure, notifying travelers and indicating alternate routes, and flaggers will be at closure barricades. US 212 will remain open to local traffic during the closure, and the road will reopen to commercial and through traffic overnight (between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.).

After the first five days of project work, US 212 will be reopened to all traffic between Crow Agency and Broadus, and the rest of the project will be constructed under traffic control. Though US 212 will be reopened, the project area will be under construction for several months and commercial traffic is encouraged to use alternate routes for the duration of construction.

Travelers between Lame Deer and Ashland should expect delays and single-lane traffic controlled by pilot cars and flaggers with reduced speeds. MDT and Prince, Inc. will ensure multiple pilot cars are active to keep traffic queues short and maintain traffic flow.

When traveling during construction season, watch for the “cone zone” and workers on the highway. These workers spend their days working a short distance from fast-moving vehicles, and while they make every effort to work safely, they count on you to pay attention, slow down, and be careful as you pass through a work zone.

UPN 9776000